Rail-splicing chair



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

RANSOM S. POTTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-SPLICING CHAIR.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 23,493, dated April 5, 1859.

To all whom it may concern.'

Bc it known that I. RANsoM S. POTTER, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Bail-Splicing Chair; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full. clear. and exact description of the con struction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure A represents a side view of chair. F B view of upper side of chair showing clamp put on. Fig. C end View of chair. Fig. D view of upper side of chair showing clamp removed. Fig. E view of under side of chair. Fig. F View of upper side of clamp the parts being represented by Figs. El. y. F (i, end View of clamp.

the edge of plate turned over' against neck of rail 8; f3 the neck of' rail.; 4 giuri-d or fence to hold clamp 5; 5 clamp of a wedge like forni; t3 inclined edge of the guard or fence; 7, 7. bolts; 8, 8, flange of rail, these figures having reference to all the different views presented in the annexed d ra wi ugs.

The nature ot my invention consists in so constructing a rail splicing chair that rails used in the ctmstruction of railroad tracks will be field firmly and securely in place and present on their upper and inner surfaces even and smooth lines, by means of a clamp wedge fitted on the back to a` guard or inclined projection on the outer lip of the chair which commences near the bolt holes, and as it rises recedes from the perpendicular at an angle of about twenty-two degrees. The back o'` the clamp wedge is made at the saine angle and on its inner and lower sui faces fitted to the flange or web of the rail and the neck, having on these parts the center at the point of rails slightly cut away to acconnnodate any inequalities which may exist in the rails. T he clamp wedge is then drawn down into place by means of ordinary bolts and as it is drawn down the saine bolts operate the wedge and the clamp and a combined action is produced which gi ves a pressure in three directions, while cach end of the clamp wedge in a measure acts separately upon its own rail; thus for1n ing a chair easily applied and adjusted, strong and perfectly safe and one which can be used either on ties or between them, but more advantageously between thelnit being designed for that purpose.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my rail splicing chair by using a wrought or cast iron plate with the inside edge turned over against the neck of the rail as shown at 2, 3, and S in Fig. O, of the accompanying drawings7 thus forming a recess or cavity, which is entirely iilled up by the flange 8, and part of the neck of the rail as shown at 3. The outside edge of the chair is so elevated as to form a fence or guard between which and the rail is inserted a clamp 5, which fills the space the entire length of the chair and forms in connection with the chair the cavity :for the outside flange of the rail. The. inner face of the guard G is inclined from a vertical or perpendicular line from without inward and the outer face of the clamp 5 is beveled so as to coincide with the face of the guard. The clamp is drawn to its place by two bolts 7, 7, passing through it and the bed of the chair in which the holes for their reception are cut away transversely, converging from the top to the bottom, in order to allow the bolts to operate the wedge feature of the clainp: thus producing a vertical pressure upon the flange of the rail 8, while the in` clined face of the guard carries the clamp against the neck of the rail, as it is drawn down by the bolts.

I do not claim broadly a clamp wedge, nor the form of the chair, but

That I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A clamp wedge operated by the same bolts as a clamp and as a wedge acting upon each rail equally; in combination with the chair guard (3, substantially as shown and specified.

RANSOM S. POTTER. Witnesses:

J. OLOUGH HAINES, GEORGE CoA'rswoRTH. 

